Forecasting Performance of International Players in the NBA

Abstract: Over the past two decades, NBA executives have faced a challenge evaluating talent as the amount of international players entering the NBA has skyrocketed. Notable early draft selections, such as the Pistons.’ pick of Darko Milicic, indicate that the league may still have much to learn about what makes an international player compatible with the NBA and successful in the league. This paper examines this problem by analyzing which skills translate to the NBA game, dissecting what NBA executives value when selecting international players, and by analyzing which international statistics and characteristics are significant determinants of success in the NBA. This paper will also make predictions for the success of upcoming international prospects possible. The results of this study indicate that there are differences between how to identify superstars and role players; however, NBA teams are almost evaluating talent to their maximum ability with the available information